Germs, Preventing the Flu

by Cindy Pitts Gilbert for February 2018 Gwinnett Citizen 

Dear Sister Knowitall,
This year’s outbreak of the flu is really serious and, I worry that my family and I are going to get it... I’d love some help knowing what to do to keep my family safe from getting sick this season. Sincerely, Flu Ninja Mama

picture credit from Safebee.com

 Dear Flu Fightin’ Mama,

That is such a huge question to answer. Short of becoming a germophobe or living on a mountaintop, if you interact with people, getting sick is almost inevitable. There are so many misconceptions about germs and bacteria. Colds and the flu along with various stomach bugs are viruses. The flu is airborne so being around someone with the flu increases your chances of getting it. The flu can also live on a hard surface for 24 hours but on a tissue for only 15 minutes. So it would make sense for anyone with the flu to stay away from other people, use tissues when you sneeze or a cough. Cover your mouth and nose wash hands before you touch anything. Please stay home. Whatever is waiting at work can wait. 

There are preventions that can help us fend against those mean little monsters that make us sick.

Wash your hands with normal soap and water often, Sing Happy Birthday all the way through 1 verse. Keep your hands away from your mouth. Why, because in between washing your hands there are more germs and you are constantly touching them. Consider investing in a box of gloves or keep napkins in the car. Make a hand sanitizer spray using diluted essential oils safe for the skin.

Here are some high germ-infested places:
• The gas pump, ATM and Credit Card machines the checkout counter. 
• Your cell phone, your glasses, You touch stuff then you touch them. 
• The phone at the office and your home phone 
• The pen at the pharmacy and doctors office how many sick people touched it before you got there
• The salt and pepper shakers on the table at a restaurant
• The grocery store shopping cart. 
• The bottom of our purse, the bottoms of your shoes. When was the last time you sanitized them? Many families have a take off your shoes at the door policy. 
• Your gloves and coat When was the last time you washed them or at least sprayed the gloves with some antibacterial essential oil or other natural cleaners. 
• Your toothbrush, the bathroom light switch the toilet handle the door handle the sink handles.

Food Is Either Killing You or Healing You

By Cindy Pitts Gilbert, Gwinnett Citizen May 2017

Dear Sister Knowitall,
I got one of those BMI weight calculators at some event, according to this thing, based on my height and weight I am obese. Have mercy! Talk about a wake- up call. so of course I “googled.” Seriously, the older I get the worse it gets. I just can’t seem to lose. How on earth do I find the right diet for me? ~Signed, Maxi Me

Dear Maxi Me,
Stop beating yourself up. It is hard to lose weight as we get older. The key is to find what works for your particular body and eat to be healthy. Yet no one seems to tell you where those keys are hidden. It is easy to ignore our weight during winter, we all covered up in our cozy sweaters. When we see ourselves in a mirror in less clothing, and think “Holy Ham hocks Batman,” know you can do something to about it.
You know me I research it all before I make any decisions. I have found thousands of options that all seem perfect. So here are three keys to the weight loss kingdom: 1) Eat foods that regulate your blood sugar which will give you the willpower you need to keep going, 2) Eat foods that reduce oxidative stress 3) Eat foods that reduce inflammation. The best choice for me is always natural so I pick foods that don’t grow in a box or bag.

Hippocrates said it first, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” — which we translate to “food is medicine.”

The food-as-medicine movement has been around for decades, I am thrilled that more and more physicians and medical institutions are now making food a formal part of treatment, rather than relying solely on medications.

In response to the no-waste food movement, there has been an increase in edible plants in American backyards. In 2014, the National Gardening Association reported that 1 in 3 households were growing food—63% are millennials. So how do you start. This is the perfect time of year to start a little container garden or raised bed garden. It doesn’t really take that much to get started. Start small and ask questions.
If gardening isn’t your thing, stick to the produce department or local farmers markets. Food sustains life but is your food killing you or healing you. Here in Gwinnett we do not eat to sustain life, eating is a big part of our life. We make it an event. So make your eating clean and healthy fun. Learn to sauté and season rather than fry.

You are not alone Maxi Me, according to the CDC from our estimated population in Georgia: 10,214,8604.
• 35.2% of adults were overweight.
• 30.5% of adults had obesity.
• 17.1% of adolescents were overweight
• 12.7% of adolescents had obesity
• 15.0% of children aged 2 to 4 years in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program were overweight.
• 13.4% of children aged 2 to 4 years in WIC had obesity.